That Extra E is for Erotogenic
by Fearless Lies
Summary: Lavi didn't know fully what to expect when he agreed to become a fake fiancé but what he figures out is sure to change his perspective on life. Bad summary. Adopted fic from Misster Cackles. Please review. Rating subject to change. LUCKY.
1. Deupareunia

Hello. This is the first fanfic that I have posted in a really long time. I am very happy I am able to find a way to write again. Please note at this time that the first several chapters will mostly reflect what Misster Cackles has already written. I have merely taken the story and put it into my own writing style. Also, note that I am going to keep the timeline really close to the manga up until the current arc. Yes, that means the stupid ghost and zombie arc, also Cross is MIA. Finally, I will mention a war that Lavi goes to document, it is a real war and I will provide more details for it later. Thank you for reading.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own D. Gray-man or any associated affiliates, they belong to Hoshino Katsura. I also did not originally write this chapter, nor the next few chapters; instead the original idea for this fanfic and some of the original text (which has been used in areas) are by Misster Cackles.

**Thank you's:** At this time there are two people who I would like to thank. The first being Misster Cackles, for allowing me to adopt this story. I really hope I am able to do it justice. The second person I would like to thank is my lovely beta, Koholint. She has been kind enough to read this chapter through this week even though she has a test.

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**Chapter 1: Deupareunia**

_Deupareunia - Mutually gratifying sex_

Komui grumbled quietly, sneaking vicious glares at the door to his office. His fellow colleagues had once again forced him into his workspace with the promise that he would never leave nor see his precious Lenalee until he had completed the task of cleaning said space. Had he been the organized, hard-working leader that everyone expected, this task may not have needed to be assigned. Therefore, Komui was sorting through the various papers that towered on top of his desk. He had already finished half of one stack in which lay the letters from the families of finders and scientists that had written to be updated on the living conditions of the one who was working so hard for them. It was a small sort diversifying the letters between the employees who were still living, and the employees who had met an unfortunate end in the field. It was within this pile that the Supervisor stumbled across a letter that was out of place from the brethren that surrounded it.

_To whom it may concern,_

_My dear friend, I am in a position to give you information about your "weapons of god" that your Order is currently unaware of its need for knowing. The information is vital enough to where you may reconsider your place in the war and even puts my own person at risk by revealing such details to you. All I ask in return for this knowledge is the company of an Exorcist to act convincingly as my fiancée for at least three months, and possibly longer depending upon future outcomes. I assure you that no harm will befall and the Exorcist shall be returned safely by the end of the time required._

_Please strongly consider this opportunity as this will be as important to you as it is to me._

_Sincerely,_

_Lord Tyré Micah _

Written beneath the elaborate signature was the date, time and location of the meeting that the chosen Exorcist would be required to meet this 'Tyré.' Taking this information into account, Komui realized that the assigned Exorcist would need to leave tomorrow morning to make the deadline.

This letter presented an oddity, since there were not many people in the world who were aware of Innocence. Also, it was sent by normal human post which led to greater suspicion, since only the employees and their families were allowed to know the address of the Black Order outside of the Vatican. There weren't enough clues present within the letter to really hint at who this Tyré was, but it was obvious the man knew about the Black Order and its goals. Still, the fact that someone was writing to them about this information showed that it was worth looking into. This man seemed to be worth trusting, otherwise he would not put himself at risk to pass along this information.

However, it seemed this man was adamant about having a female exorcist presented to him on the date listed in the letter. Klaud would be too busy with her general duties, and it would not be wise to send someone of such high rank on an extended mission anyways. Miranda would already be preparing for her own wedding which would be held two days after she would have to be on the mission. That left –

_NO!_ Komui slammed the letter down as both of his hands went to take out his newly found anger on his desk which caused the towers of other letters, receipts, and forms to shake and several pens to begin to go rolling off of his desk. He caught several of them before they made it fully over the edge, and held to them bitterly as his thoughts proceeded to send him images of some slimy octopus touching his innocent little sister. This horrid person would surely take advantage of _his_ Lenalee, and return her after she went back to being the shell that she was before he joined the order. And Komui could not live without seeing her smile once a day when he was in her presence. But what would be even worse is if she fell in love with him and they ran off together, and Komui would never see her anymore because she would forget about him for the man who had her in his life every day. No. He would sooner kill the contact than risk the chance of his sister never being the same again.

So, alternatives... He could send a finder female. No, that wouldn't work because the informant specifically requested an Exorcist. Komui could send a guy dressed in drag. That had some possibilities Allen couldn't do it, with that Vatican menace, Link, so he would be incapable completing this mission successfully. Kanda... Komui's hand tightened around the almost fallen objects once more as the phantom pain of the samurai taking his beloved Mugen and shoving it through the supervisor's torso. Well, there went all the effeminate looking males.

Komui began to set down the various pens and inks so that he could massage his temple in hopes of figuring out an idea for this mission. His gaze fell upon the ink cover-up within its small white container and candles began to flicker on in his head. He picked up the letter once more to look at the work _fiancée_ before setting it calmly on the desk to begin his small modification to it. He might've tried to have Komurin VIII try to do this for him, but the less people who knew about it the better. Very carefully, Komui traced the final 'e' with the full intent of using it as an excuse to keep his precious sister safe. They would get their information hopefully, but Tyré may have to settle for something that was a little different from what he was expecting.

Slowly, a cunning grin etched itself onto the procrastinator's face as he looked over his brilliant effort at protecting Lenalee's innocence. He set the letter down in the small clear space that was available on the surface of his still very cluttered desk. Glancing towards the door he called out, "Oh Section Chief Reever! Can you please leave your post outside my office and come in here for a moment, please?"

The door clicked as the Australian turned the knob to allow himself into the room. As he gazed upon the disorganized office, Reever cast a suspicious look towards his boss. "What is it, Supervisor? I hope you're asking me to bring you coffee, since apparently this task will take you all night."

Komui scoffed at the slightly derogatory comment spoken by his subordinate. "Of course not! I need a list of all the male exorcists besides Allen and Kanda... Oh and don't put Marie on there either. I know we haven't sent anyone back into the field since the whole Komu-Vitan D incident, but everyone's names seem to escape me at the moment." Reever looked puzzled at the request for a minute, but recognition hit his system as he spotted the letter on the desk.

Keeping an eye on his superior, Reever crossed the room to the filing cabinet, which he had personally organized. Grabbing the personnel list, he read of names in the order that they appeared. "Well, the only available male exorcists right now that haven't already been eliminated from your options are Krory, Chaoji, Lavi, and Bookman." The Chinese man began to go through the list in all consideration. Krory was too inexperienced in the ways of the world to be really effective with this mission. Chaoji still needed his basic training before he could go on a solo mission. Lavi might work. Bookman was too old.

'Might work'? No, Lavi would _have_ to work since he was the only logical option. After all, everyone else was busy and there was absolutely no way some atrocious octopus was going to lay his tentacles on _his_ precious Lenalee.

"Reever, please have Lavi brought here. I have a mission for him." The subordinate internally winced at the maniacal glint that was held in Komui's eyes. It was never good when the look that was present during all the presentations of the Komurins presented itself. Still, Reever began to turn towards the door automatically to go collect the unfortunate Exorcist. However, he paused in his beginning step and began to call beyond the door.

"Johnny! Please go collect Lavi and bring him here." The blonde turned back to his supervisor. Seeing the man already up and moving towards the door to walk out, Reever grabbed him and dragged him towards his chair on the far side of the desk. "While we wait for his arrival, _you_ are going to continue sorting your papers."

***insert small commercial break here***

"So, I need to act like I am this man's fiancé to get the information about Innocence from him?" Lavi questioned his crazed superior. Obtaining the information wasn't that hard of a concept to grasp; instead, the confusion lay with the fact that the redhead would need to pretend to love another man. Lavi frowned at the thought; there was nothing wrong with homosexuality, but the ideas behind those relationships had become more taboo since the days of public orgies in Europe. The Catholic Church contributed to this blacklisting because of their beliefs. Was the Vatican even aware of this mission? Speaking of the mission, how did a normal human being become aware of Innocence? That question piqued his bookman curiosity.

Across the now semi-cleared desk, Komui nodded his confirmation to the young adult's tone. The white-clad male was leaning against his clasped hands to seem as though he were in deep thought. Lavi had been around long enough now to know that the Chinese man's mental theater was actually playing some ridiculous fantasy that involved the younger Lee sibling. "That would be correct. Plus you fit the description the best out of what he's requested; longer hair. No one has hair as long as yours," the scientist tried to cover for himself as he looked at the now-suspicious teen.

"Allen has hair about the same length as mine."

"Allen has a babysitter that won't leave him alone. Said babysitter should not be visible for the sake of this mission, which, I am sure you are aware, is nearly statistically impossible."

"Then have two-dot stay behind."

"Allen is being watched by the Vatican. Surely you can infer what that implies."

Lavi did, and so decided to use a different tactic. "Yu-chan has longer hair than me."

"Kanda would kill the client after he killed me."

"No, Kanda would kill the client after he collected the information _after_ he subjected you to a slow torturous death."

Komui winced feeling the phantom pains once again. "Kanda would subject you to a worse torture if he was aware you were endorsing his participation in this mission."

Lavi's blood froze as he recognized the underlying thereat that was coming from the man who usually only resorted to threats when things dealt with his sister. After all, Kanda would know the green-eyed male had recommended him because Komui would reveal it within his _torture_. Sighing, Lavi claimed the mission folder and letter that was lying on the desk in front of his boss. He objectively scanned through the letter trying to see the personality details that could be reflected in the handwriting.

"It says nothing in here about long hair!" the youth exclaimed as he finished reading the available text.

The Supervisor seemed unconcerned and much more relieved, and a slow smirk drew itself across his face as he held up his hands in the 'Don't shoot me' gesture. "You accepted the mission when you picked up the folder! You can't undo what's been done, as I am sure you are well aware, Lavi!" The redhead glared at the older male before looking over the letter once more.

"Since you feel the need to whore me out, I should receive at least half of what he's paying you."

The Director laughed then. "Paying? He's the one who would be receiving money if anything, since he is the provider of the information." Lavi's jaw seemed to unhinge as the words reaching his sharp ears.

"What about funds for the Finder to have a place to stay?"

"A Finder will not be going with you since we have to make this façade as real as possible." Komui explained. The maniacal glint on his glasses grew brighter with each second that Lavi felt the urge to break them. "Of course, this means that you would be staying constantly in the client's company as well." The uncovered eye widened in realization.

"As a bookman, I am unable to hold any attachments. What would happen should I be unable to convincingly act like I am happily betrothed to the man?"

Komui wanted to laugh at Lavi's final attempt to get out of the mission. There was no way Komui was going to let him escape though. Not when his precious Lenalee stood the chance of being the one sent on this mission instead. "Well, then you would blow the chance to retrieve the valuable information that we are unaware of, both within the Order and within the Bookman Clan." Lavi grumbled as he realized the Komui had just used his future profession as an advantage to lock the apprentice into the job, the same profession that Lavi was going to attempt to use to get himself out of the mission. He looked again to the name to see if it matched any of the lists of people from history that were worth mentioning. "We've already tried to look him up," the Supervisor spoke again as he noticed the redhead's lingering gaze upon the name written across the bottom. "However, there is no recorded history or data of this guy, much less a picture of what he may look like. His name is also unlisted on anyone's registry; so, the aristocracy is even unaware of who he is."

Lavi rolled his visible eye. "Thanks; that helps." Whether sincere or not, Lavi straightened up to signal the end of their conversation. Folding the letter, he stuffed it within his zippered breast pocket, and then he tucked the mission folder underneath his left arm. Mocking a salute in Komui's direction, he walked towards the office door. In the doorway, he paused and said, "You best hope that this information is worth any piece of your existence. Later, Supervisor."

_Well_, the scientist thought, _it was worth my existence if Lenalee does not need to be subjected to the slimy octopus that sent this letter_. Another crazed grin crossed his face as he look back towards his paperwork.

His existence was _sweet_.

*******insert small commercial break here***  


Several days later, Lavi was snapped awake as the call for his stop was announced by the train attendant. The previous days had been spent on uncomfortable seats, since the Order had failed to reserve a private car, and now Lavi was looking forward to the chance of being able to sleep on a comfortable bed. The travelling arrangements had kept him sharp though, since they prevented his usual lazing about, and he took the time to analyze his mission.

He had begun by memorizing the letter and could now recite its contents forwards, backwards, and in iambic pentameter. The vernacular indicated that the author was used to a formal, business language that had been practiced and refined over many years of use. There was also no visible key with which to use to decrypt the remainder of the letter. Also, why would a man like the author require having someone pose as his fiancé to ensure the safety of all parties involved?

This, of course, raised other questions about the mysterious Tyré Micah. Komui had mentioned that his name wasn't in any registry, but the writer's word choice hinted that it should be. This meant that either he was a plutocrat, or Tyré Micah was not the contact's real name. By hiding his real name, the client set up a well-thought security net to ensure that he would come out of this alive. However, the lack of name also led to a lack of a picture. This led into Lavi's musings of what his fake fiancé would look like. Would he be as handsome and as suave as his words, or would he be the kind of person whose words were their best feature and possessed no physically redeeming qualities what so ever?

No matter what though, this mission was to be accomplished, if not for the Order's, then at least the role of Bookman's sake. He had opted to wear his new uniform to indicate to the client that he was the Exorcist sent by the Black Order. Tugging self-consciously at the red-trimmed sleeves, he grabbed the suitcase that contained everything he needed for this mission, or so he hoped.

Jumping down the steps of the train, Lavi scanned the platform for someone who appeared to be waiting expectantly for a person on the train. The crowd though began to clear quickly due to the non-holiday season, but the lack of people waiting left the redhead confused. He began to walk towards the visible café to obtain something to drink, but he stopped as he heard a voice, a smooth, haunting tenor that made the Exorcist's blood freeze.

"Please tell me that you are not here alone."

His lone visible eye widening, the Exorcist spun around; his hand was already letting gravity control it as he reached for his Innocence contained in the uniform's garter. His feet quickly shuffled him a few steps away from the Noah to increase the miniscule time it would take for that thing to reach him. Said Noah only looked slightly amused as the now growing hammer shielded its user, but his look also held great annoyance. Tyki Mikk took another drag off of the cigarette between his lips before removing a hand from his pocket to take away the lit stick.

He looked very different from the last time Lavi had seen him on the Ark. He appeared older in the sense that all his physical attributes had matured. His hair had grown longer and was tied at the base of his neck instead of on top of his head. It had also changed shades from the green-black to a more blue black. Furthermore, his skin tone was not the ash gray of the Noah's true form, nor the sunless-pale that he had sported when he worked in the mines; instead, he had a healthy tanned quality that was common in someone of status. Lavi's bookman skills continued to note the other various, subtle differences that created the new person that was currently standing in front of him.

Instead of attacking as per Lavi's expectation, Tyki slumped his head forward and slowly exhaled the smoke from his lungs as if he were thinking of better things he could be doing. Lavi's glare darkened at the indifferent treatment that had previously ticked him off when the Noah refused to fight him on the Ark. He was stronger now and trained just as hard as anyone else around the Order did, even with Bookman's disapproval. The redhead had even continued his training regimen when he had been sent on the four month-long mission by Bookman to document the truth within another war.

"What are you doing here, Noah?" Lavi sharply questioned as the Innocence began to glow with the rage of its master.

Dark caramel eyes glanced up at him with a strange expression. _Irritation, anger, disappointment..._ Only the rest of his head tilted upward as he replied, "I could ask the same of you."

"That's none of your concern, bastard."

"Then put away your weapon. I am here on my own accord as well; though, I may as well forget about it." With that final statement, Tyki tipped his hat, turned around and began walking towards the stairs that would take him to the rest of the city. He waved over his should as he called back, "You might as well go home too, _shonen_. Tyré Micah has just decided that this business venture is no longer worth pursuing."

A shock sent itself through Lavi's system as he continued to stare at the retreating back. His bookman habits began to overwork themselves as they quickly processed the newest information offer to him by the Noah's choice of words. One always went from point A to point B, which meant that...

Tyki Mikk and Tyré Micah were the same person.

This was shaping up to be a _wonderful_ experience.

The heir of Bookman groaned slightly at the back of his throat as realization hit him. With this new information, he needed to make a quick choice about what to do next. All rational thought told him to buy another train ticket on the Order's tab and report what had happened. This line of thought led back to the original message that Tyki had composed and sent to them in the first place. A _Noah_ was offering up information that had yet to be revealed amongst all of Komui's crazy experiments. But why? It must have been very influential for Tyki to switch sides by telling them, and putting his own person in danger. What kind of information must this be for him to risk everything just for a false fiancé?

Lavi closed his eyes as he issued his own sigh over the whole situation. He was used to having to pretend to be someone else with each new persona he put forth, but this job held to much risk in it. Sheathing his Innocence, he turned towards the train and ticket booth that would both be needed for his ride back to Headquarters. Another several day ride on uncomfortable seats that prevented him from sleeping the way he wanted to, and thereby keeping him awake wondering about what information he could've obtained from this mission.

Lavi was snapped from his musings as he found himself taking off after the man who he had once sworn he would take down. He took the steps quickly and analyzed which way the well-dressed man had gone. Spotting the man only slightly up the road, Lavi called out to him, "Tyki! Wait a minute! Can you slo-" Lavi was cut off as he was run into by the various crowds that occupied the city streets. "Please, _move_." He pushed his way through the crowd and upon emerging from the other side of it, realized the Noah was no longer in the spot in which he had last seen him. Taking another step or two forward, the redhead scanned the area in front of him. He began to turn to see if Tyki had decided to stop in a store, but was cut off from doing so as a suited torso invaded his immediate line of sight.

Freaked out, Lavi stepped back from the man who was currently much to close for his own personal comfort. Tyki's eyes lightened in amusement. "You called, Mr. Eye Patch?" The cigarette had already been disposed of and the Pleasure had decided to keeps his hand casually in his coat pockets to reassure the younger man that he meant no harm. Lavi grimaced slightly at the name, but was happy he had been able to catch up with Tyki. He was hoping that, even though there were obvious issues with him being the wrong person for the job, the Noah would give him all the information he would need anyways, and then he could take a small much needed break from the Order and Bookman.

"Yeah," Lavi's slightly labored answer came, but he quickly regulated his breathing as he began to focus on the task in front of him. "Why did you ask if I was alone?"

Tyki's expression went blank. "I asked for a woman, not a male."

Lavi frowned as he absorbed what was said, and then proceeded to become confused. "Woman? Fiancé is a male title; you got what you asked for."

As soon as the words were spoken, caramel eyes widened in surprise as they closely inspected the male in front of him beginning to seem distrustful. Lavi had grown embarrassed from how he realized he was sounding, but that seemed to only be making things worse for his already tight muscles. However, Tyki's eyes caught hold of the lone jade green on and he let out a light chuckle at the redhead's discomfort.

"Perhaps," the elder replied. "But how did you get to fiancé from fiancée, with two E's?"

Well that settled that explanation. Lavi's face began to shift from its natural color to his hair color as he realized the mix up. A _woman_. It made since. After all, Tyki was clearly trying to portray a high standing man who fit into society, and though they had once been common, homosexual relationships would not make fitting into society easy. The upper class males were expected to be able to carry on the family by having plenty of children with their respective wives. Of course the male in front of him would ask for a woman on this mission.

But wait... Lavi's thoughts went through the contents that he had memorized several times over and still came to the same conclusion. Tyki had written exactly what the redhead had said. The embarrassed flush dissipated as another glare set itself on his face.

"I don't know!" Lavi accused. "You're the one who wrote it in your letter."

Tyki looked confused and suspicious at the Bookman's words. "Do you have the letter with you?" Lavi gave his affirmative as he pulled the folded piece of paper from his pants pocket and handed it to the older male. The brunette unfolded his work and began to read exactly what he wrote. His eyes narrowed as he came to the discrepancy that the two were currently arguing over. He raised the paper closer to his face and became confused at seeing what he was currently seeing. The non-holding hand came up to the paper as well and began to scratch at the page on just the end of the offending word. His superior smirk returned as he passed the letter back to the Bookman's apprentice.

The younger then began to read through the memorized contents once again to see what had made the man in front of him so arrogant once again. His eye widened as his saw that a second E had appeared surrounded by flakes of the ink corrector, thus changing fiancé to fiancée. His eyes focused on the fine dust that had made the letter look like the page.

Only one name came to mind as he thought of what could've happened.

_Komui_.

This mission was no longer worth the supervisor's life; and when he returned to Headquarters...


	2. Haptepronia

So, I am back and out of school now, so I will be catching up as I am currently behind. Chapter 3 has already been started. I hope you all will realize that I have given chapter 1 a title as well as this chapter. At this time, I would like assure you that I did not make these words up and they are in fact defined in There's a word for it!: A Grandiloquent Guide to Life by Charles Harrington Elster. So, enjoy the vocab lesson as well. Also, I'm trying to keep up with the actual time period that I gave, but the real world doesn't always fit so any historical discrepancies should be ignored. The chapters will come up faster now that I don't have a research paper due everyday. Thank you for reading.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own D. Gray-man or any associated affiliates, they belong to Hoshino Katsura. I also did not originally write this chapter, nor the next few chapters; instead the original idea for this fanfic and some of the original text (which has been used in areas) are by Misster Cackles.

**Thank You's:** Once again I would like to that Misster Cackles for giving me this fic, don't worry the changes will come. Also my lovely beta, Koholint, who managed to review this chapter for me and return it in a few hours. Gotta love summer. Finally, to the wonderful reviews who like what I've done so far. It really does mean a lot to me that people do like it. And, I'll try to keep up with the awesome TheEvilMuffinToaster.

Please review.

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**Chapter 2: Haptepronia**

_Haptepronia - the inclination to respond favorably to amorous advances_

Lavi felt the sudden urge to hit the absent crazed scientist; what _had_ Komui been thinking when he assigned the Bookman heir to this mission! Since the redhead wasn't female, why had the Supervisor expected Tyki to give the information to them after not receiving his end of the bargain; and therefore being betrayed by the people who are supposed to become his ally?

The brunette's voice interrupted Lavi's thoughts about different forms of torture for is supervisor. "What are you going to do now, _shonen_?" The redhead's attention snapped back to his supposed enemy just in time to watch the taller male to finish fishing out a small white box. Recognition settled in as the younger saw the cigarette be drawn from between the card board sheets and a match was pulled from Tyki's right pocket.

The exorcist paused to think some more, but decided to think loud instead when he noticed the impatient glint in the elder's eyes. "Switching Exorcists would take a few days because of the trains. Even if I called them to send another one within the hour, it would take about four days tops; three if there are no stops between stations. I am more than willing to bet on the former wait time because of short notice to the train administrators." He glanced at the Noah who nodded in agreement while waving out the lit match. Biting his lip, Lavi decided to ask the one question he was fairly certain he already knew the answer to, "When did you need the female Exorcist?"

Tyki took a long drag from the cancer stick before politely exhaling the smoke to the side. "Today at this time would've been the latest."

Lavi sighed in defeat as he watched his chances of obtaining the proffered information lessen with each word that the elder said. Releasing his lip from the contraption of his teeth, he decided to see if apologizing to him would help gain him any ounce of knowledge that had been promised. "As Exorcists, we need the information that you have. I'm sorry to say that our supervisor has a ridiculous sister complex, because I don't want to be standing in front of you for that reason. However, it would seem that I am. Still, would it be possible for you to tell me the information anyways, and then we can both go our separate ways?"

The redhead already knew that asking that question had been pointless, since there was nothing the Noah had to gain if he gave up the information, but he still had everything to lose. However, Lavi could at least say that he _tried_ to get the information, even when the conditions for it clearly were not met.

Golden eyes looked into Lavi's own jade eye as the Noah decided to make his reply. "I'm afraid not. I made myself explicitly clear in my letter to your organization." Lavi grumbled under his breath and his head fell forward to muffle some of the curses at Tyki, fate, and Komui that were slipping from his lips. His distraction from annoyance was strong enough that he almost missed the Noah's next words. "You are correct, however; it is not your fault that you were sent here instead of who I asked for." Lavi looked up to see the thoughtful look that was making its way across the darker male's face. "That would have to mean that one of the female Exorcists is a relative of your supervisor, his sister if I remember what you said correctly. Should you choose to answer, which Exorcist is she?"

Lavi looked into the elder man's eyes as if to confirm the non-malicious intent of the asker. "I'm surprised you don't already know, since she's Road's doll. Her name is Lenalee Li."

The Noah's eyes widened a fraction in surprise before he began to laugh at the irony of the situation. "The young girl with the transformed Innocence? Oh dear..." Tyki shook his head as he laughed. "Then I guess it will be a shock for him, when the time comes..." the brunette trailed off before he revealed too much. Lavi looked at him puzzled but the elder just waved him off. "Oh never mind. It's all a part of the secret that I would have to give." He broke off to chuckle some more at the current situation. "So tell me, Mr. Librarian, has anyone else's Innocence changed like the Li girl's?"

Lavi scowled at the Noah who was now mocking him with his title, which had unfortunately trapped him in this crummy situation to begin with. "Either tell me or don't!" Lavi exclaimed as he made sure to look the taller male in the eyes. "However, if you're not going to help then don't resort to immature teasing. In fact..." Lavi paused as he glanced downwards to grab the bag the he had dropped when he initially ran into the Noah. "In fact," he repeated as he finally decided how he wanted to end the statement. "I'm leaving. It was nice meeting you, Tyré." Keeping his finishing words short, Lavi turned to go back to the station that he had arrived in.

He had barely taken a step when a hand had reached out to grab his arm. The tight grip on his arm caused Lavi to jump and let a small sound of surprise as he turned to face the man who'd grabbed him. The brunette wasn't facing him and focused instead on the area just to the right, deep in thought. A moment later, Tyki turned to look him directly in the eye again. "And here I thought you wanted the information that I am offering so willingly."

Lavi gave the elder a dark glare as he pulled his arm from the Noah's grip. "You've already made it clear that you're not going to tell me since we've both been wronged in this situation!"

Tyki looked over the younger once more and fully analyzed his situation. "However, I also made it very clear that I need someone to act as my beloved for a couple of months."

The redhead rolled his eyes at the confusing actions the other man was taking. "Then find yourself a harlot; it's already been made clear that your situation no longer concerns me." Lavi turned to go to the station once more, but Tyki stopped and turned him around again.

"I thought you needed this information on the Innocence?"

Agitated, confused, and frustrated, the younger looked the Noah in eye. "Didn't we already have this conversation?" Tyki removed the cigarette from his mouth before tilting back his head to laugh and let out his mirth. This only helped to further irritate the Bookman, as he glowered darkly at the man mocking him. Giving up on understanding the laughing man, he turned around again to get on the next train back to the Black Order.

"Ah, _Coelho_?" He heard Tyki say as he continued to walk away. He could perceive the sound of footsteps quickly following him and internally sighed. He thought this was settled already, but apparently the Noah had other ideas.

He suddenly felt a hand grab his in a gentler manner than the before. Shocked, Lavi whirled towards the man once more and found himself within the Noah's embrace. He tensed as he remained still, stunned and unsure of what was going on. The hand that had helped pull him into this situation gently came up so the fingers could brush through his hair. He jerked in the hold in hopes of being able to escape, and doubled his efforts as the Pleasure's smooth voice reached his ears. "I'm sorry, _meu querido Coelho_, I could not help myself."

Lavi tried pushing at the other man's chest in a greater attempt to get out of Tyki's arms. "T-Tyki! What are you doing!" He stumbled over the man's name because he doubted how he was supposed to address his contact now that he was, behaving as he was. The sudden shift in character, while natural for the typically impulsive Noah, confused the Bookman who found this situation unpredictable. The rational side of his brain was telling him to grab his weapon and attack the dangerous male in front of him, while the more emotional side of his brain remained in shock at the puzzling behavior. What was going through the mind of the Noah that he had missed?

Lavi stepped out of touching distance as soon as he felt Tyki's arms loosen enough to allow his to be freed without causing a scene. The brunette gazed apologetically at the redhead as he decided to continue on his current path. "I'm sorry for my behavior, _meu coelho_. It's just been so long since I last saw you. You understand don't you?" He then leaned in to loom over Lavi as he hoped to get his message across.

An emerald eye widened in comprehension as its owner realized the reason for the sudden change in behavior. It seems that he was going to be taking on the role of _fiancé_ after all. Lavi wasn't completely against the opportunity now presented to him, except for the fact that he would need to play the part of the _Tyki Mikk_'s betrothed. However, this was a long duration mission and he was going to try to be as comfortable as possible. "I'm not cross-dressing for you, so I hope you're happy with a fiancé, the one with one 'e.'"

Tyki's mouth split into a grin as he took in the Exorcist's acceptance. "Of course. Why would I ask you to be something you obviously can't be, _coelho_?"

Lavi rolled his eye at the pet name that he was almost positive that the Noah got from the yelling Yuu-chan had given him on the Ark. "Please refrain from calling me that, it really creeps me out." _It makes me think of what you might actually use for a lover_. Deciding to move past the conversation of what he was and how he should be referred to, the redhead turned their speech toward the mission. Tyki Mikk, despite being the Noah of Pleasure, was currently a client of the Black Order, after all. "Until we get to where we need to be, can you explain to me precisely what it is I'm here for? Is there a specific occasion or inheritance condition or..." he trailed off with the intentional hope Tyki would fill in the blank.

"Your current alias is still Lavi, correct?" The brunette seemed to ignore the question as he went after his own information first. Lavi, while miffed, figured the brunette would get to the answer eventually. He nodded his affirmation and followed the elder as he turned and began to walk down the street. Tyki turned his head to the side and analyzed the younger male for a few seconds. "Nineteen?"

"I'm Twenty," Lavi corrected; he may have only finished his teens a few months back, but he was glad that he could no longer be termed a 'hormonal teenager.' It had been frustrating enough when Bookman had called him that at once, before he had been sent to Cuba over a year and a half ago; before he had altered Bookman's mind about him and his ability to become the next Bookman by going on that solo mission.

"I am twenty-eight." Tyki's voice snapped him back to the present as Lavi nodded again and stored the information freely given to him. The Noah hummed as he seemed to think about how to present his next topic of discussion. He took a final drag from his cigarette as it had now burned to the filter, and he stubbed it out on a brick wall they were passing before disposing of the butt properly. The single green eye recorded all of this in the hopes of deciphering it later to truly examine his pretend fiancé's personality.

Walking a few more steps down the sidewalk, Tyki began, "This may seem rather... silly, but I need someone to act as my betrothed because my mother is coming to town in two days." There seemed to be a slight spreading of red across the elder's cheeks but the younger couldn't really be sure with the now tanner skin of the Noah.

"Your _mother_?" he asked questioningly as alarm bells were going off about there being something wrong with that statement. He began recalling his first meeting with the other man as he realized the reason for those bells. "I thought you said you were an orphan when you were in your white form back when we met?"

There was a slight chuckle before the explanation began. "I was living in that persona, Bookman. My black and white forms are two different people. I'm sure you can understand the need to alter your personal history for the sake of living as another person, right, _coelho_?"

"I thought I told you to stop calling me by those kinds of names for now. It's strange to hear them come from you." Despite his objections to the pet name, he did agree with the brunette about the statement over personal history and personas. He had changed his own often enough as well.

Tyki smirked, "It may be strange, but we may as well practice and started getting used to terms of endearment now. We have two days to pull together an act about how we've known each other for a couple years."

Lavi paled at the thought. "You've got to be kidding. You've been lying to your mother for _years_ about having a fiancée?"

"No, I've been lying to her for a month when she began pestering me about it. I lied _about_ having a fiancée for years." He paused before deciding to explain the reason for the lies. "She always thought I needed someone suitable like Sheryl's wife, and I wanted to make her happy."

The younger understood that reasoning, but still had some questions. "What made you decide to ask for an Exorcist in the Black Order?"

This question gained him an amused smile as the Noah gave his answer. "You can almost call it a whim. Why hire a harlot and train them to be nothing more than a gold digger when I can have fun by easily convincing your Order to send someone and make it work yours and my time?"

Lavi glared at the half answer to his question and shifted his suitcase to his other hand as the first had grown tired of carrying the contents. "We fight against each other, not enjoy each other's company."

Another chilling laugh came forth. "Ah, but are we not already in a play written by the Earl's hands? What is this but another act in the grand performance of the show?" He halted suddenly after his claims causing the redhead to go another couple extra steps before stopping as well. Lavi turned to look questioningly at the other but was only beckoned closer. He did so with caution and nearly freaked out as the Noah unexpectedly leaned forward, brushing his tanned cheek against Lavi's pale one.

Breath ghosted over an ear as Tyki began talk whisper directly there, "This will be the only time I will say this, because I know I am not be tailed at the moment. The information that I possess is so significant that the Millennium Earl would rather strike me dead than have me pass it on to you." Lavi nodded slightly, knowing Tyki would probably feel rather see the movement. He shivered as the elder's lips brushed against the shell of his ear with each word spoken. "Can you do this simple request for me, Lavi? It is also in your nature to figure things out, correct?"

The Noah retracted slowly, allowing his lips to press against the Exorcist's cheek in a silent promise of the secrets that would be told as he stood up straight. Lavi's free hand instinctively came up to the place where Tyki had previously placed his lips. He nodded to the brunette's question as words remained in capable of taking form.

A knowing grin made its way across the younger's features and words formed once more. "A rogue Noah?"

The older male shrugged indifferently, "It's happened before, and the future is almost always bound to repeat the past."

"Which one?" Lavi had a suspicion on who it was in the past, but he want to confirm his hypothesis before writing the conclusion.

"You know him as Allen Walker."

Tension formed between the two of them. It was uncomfortable and nonverbally decided to be dropped off the conversation topics list. The fourteenth was a dangerous topic to both sides of this war; he brought up too many questions: Was there a third side to the war, why did he betray the Earl, how many connections had he made to the people in the current war, was he the true author of this play rather than the Earl...?

"So when did you decide betrayal was the answer?" Lavi asked, both genuinely curious and also hoping to skirt the previous topic. There was too much that could be brought up from that course of action that would detract from the situation they were now in.

However, the jump in conversation seemed to be too short for Tyki as the other hissed, "Hush, _Coelho_. I'll tell you later, but for now there are secrets to be kept." _Must be a big secret_, the Bookman thought as he accepted the secrecy for now.

The elder began to walk again and Lavi followed, not knowing the destination. It couldn't be too much farther, as they had already walked for at least fifteen minutes and the Pleasure was wealthy enough that he would've brought a carriage if their trek was going to be over a mile.

They walked for a minute when the Exorcist decided to get more information for his mission. "Tell me more about what you have told your mother in your letters," he offered as a new topic. "The more information that I can get, the more realistic I can get this _act_ to be for both our sakes."

Tyki nodded as the tension from their previous conversation dissolved. He was silent as he seemed to be thinking about the letters. A smirk graced his face once more, "I told her I had found someone of amazing beauty with a fiery personality, an extraordinary education, and—"

Lavi cut him off by clearing his throat loudly. "I'm sure you are a good actor, since you need to be able to go back and forth between your black and white forms. However, I assure you that I am just as good if not better because of my own need to be able change personas. So, let us save the theatrics for the actual performance that we will need to do later."

Tyki's eyes widened in surprise, but his face changed into a leer as he went to test the Bookman, "How do you know if I am practicing or not, _meu querido coelho_? How do you know that I was not thinking of you when I writing to her of my beloved?"

"Your reaction from when we ran into each other on the train platform." Lavi said blankly. "You asked me if I was here alone with words that hinted that you were expecting someone else with me." The brunette shrugged with a small smile that gave a silent 'true enough' to the other's clues. "I can see why you requested an exorcist from the Order though." _We're the ones who wear the targets on our bodies, and you may as well take someone out with you when you go down. _Finders, though recognizable, would've been sent without disguise and typically wore hoods that allowed them to be unrecognizable in their nonworking hours. Exorcists, on the other hand, went out and greeted people while wearing the badge and carrying the scent of their weapons.

The elder male obviously knew the respective uniforms of the Black Order's field agents and had seen more distinguishable Exorcists than Finders in his travels. Therefore, the Noah's reasons went without saying as they continued their walk.

There was also the other obvious reason of why Tyki had not been thinking of him when writing the letter that spoke more volumes than the words spoken in the train station. He had requested a _fiancée_ instead of a _fiancé_, and Lavi was clearly not female; and logically, the other would want to match his description of what he had requested to be as accurate as possible when he sent the request to the Order. It made sense for the man to tell his mother of his betrothed being female since that was stereotypical of males today because of years of homosexuality being illegal.

There a faint chiming of a clock tower in the distance that alerted Lavi that it was now five o'clock in the evening. With the chimes, people began to flood the walk way that previously only the two business partners and a few other had been walking along.

They slowed down to accept the crowd. "Your mother..." Lavi held his question to allow himself to get out of the thick part of the opposing current of people. "What would she say about me? Specifically, what would she say have to say about my not being female and all...?" He continued after finally emerging from the crowd that was adamant about going the opposite direction.

Tyki was polite enough to wait for him as he had passed the crowd at a faster rate. He had been walking on the street side and had calmly stepped onto the streets after ensuring that there was not a carriage around to run him over as he walked there. He smiled as he imagined his mother now. "Even though she is particularly critical on how some behaves and holds their share of the conversation, gender is not something that she looks at when considering someone. People are people, regardless of their gender. As her sons, Sheryl and I have been brought up under that same ideal." He fondly remembered some of the times Sheryl had been punished when he had dared to oppose their mother's thinking, which led into the not so fond memories of his own punishments.

However, Tyki decided to get back to the question which he had been asked. "I didn't tell her much, to be honest. I only told her that I found someone who possessed the qualities that I've been looking for in a person." He turned from the main road and down an alley, slowing down to make sure the Exorcist was still following him.

Lavi was curious now about the Pleasure as person with the vagueness of his statement. "Then what do you look for in a partner?" he questioned as he took in the alley way they had turned down. At the end, there was a wall and no way to escape from the dangerous man who had led him there in the first place. He slowed his pace as his brain began to warn him about what was most likely going to happen to him if he continued to follow the Noah, who despite being a client could still be considered an enemy of the Exorcists.

Tyki spun around suddenly and tightly grasped Lavi wrists that had instinctively come up as the Bookman sensed movement. The taller male forcefully pushed the smaller against a side wall with an overwhelming strength that the other had not expected. His wrists were pressed level with his head while the Pleasure's body pressed itself intimately close to his. His brain rang with internal alarms as he realized he was sandwiched between the Noah and the wall, and he forced himself to fight back. He tried to push the older off, but after several failed attempts, he lifted his face, growling with the intention of giving the other a piece of his mind. His growl was drowned out by the large sound of rushing wind that he barely felt because of the person in front of him.

What he did feel was what made him wonder what was going on. His body was essentially immobile for all intents and purposes even though there didn't seem to be a wall behind him anymore. The ground felt like it was moving under his feet, sliding as the limbs were incapable of moving at the moment. There were also the different textures of the ground and people that they brushed against, who seemed not to notice the pair as they travelled infinitely faster. He could feel the press of Tyki's body against his which, while being unwanted, was comfortable because it was at least a familiar feeling. The only semi-painful feel was his eye drying from the wind that was created from their rapid movement. The eye was watering in the unconscious attempt to prevent itself from drying out.

It seemed like his eye held the only movement he could make and he raised his eye to look at the taller's face. Being only five inches away, it was easy enough to discern that the Noah was used to this, even with the water blurring his vision. Lavi might have enjoyed this more and taken in more of the details if only he knew what it was.

The ride only lasted a few seconds giving the redhead only a few moments to begin to understand what happened to him. He felt the grip on his wrists loosen and felt the world spin around him. He lost his balance and fell to floor, but avoided hitting his head by falling onto his rear and forearms. He allowed himself to lie flat on the tile that definitely did not exist in the alley he had been in, as his surroundings proceeded to spin.

"Teleportation," Tyki's voice processed through the dizziness of the environment that Lavi was currently experiencing. "It is not the best way to travel, especially for a first timer such as you. Yet despite the discomfort, it is the fastest way to travel that anyone will ever find." Lavi hummed in acknowledgement, not wanting to vomit his lunch further by forcing his head to move when it had not caught up to him yet.

Strong arms hoisted him off the ground before he thought himself ready to stand yet. However, they were nice enough to help stabilize him while his balance remained just out of his reach. He picked a spot to focus on and hoped the spinning would end soon as he took in the details of the small area that he was chosen to focus on. It shined and sparkled with cleanliness that confirmed he was no longer in the alley they had been in less than a minute ago.

"Welcome," he heard Tyki say, probably with that ever present smirk that he always wore around the Exorcists. "...to the Kamelot Manor."

* * *

**Challenge time:**

If anyone can guess what year it is and/or what war Lavi documented (though if you know the second one you know the first), I will dedicate some of the chapters to you.... plus lots of cookies and brownie points.

requirements:

none, just don't give your answer in a review. Please PM all answers to me. Also, you can't be my beta, sorry Koholint.

Til next time.


	3. Noeclexis

I am so sorry about the delay on this. But it's done. I am very visual with my descriptions, and Kamelot manor decided it did not want to be seen by me for the longest time. Also, my beta and I fell out of contact, so I have a new beta, who has NOT looked at this yet, but I just sent it off to her. This past year has been crazy for me, and I hope you all will forgive me for the the very long delay on this chapter. The next few chapters should come much sooner, as I'm hoping to finish the next two chapters by the end of the month. But given that life happens, do not be surprised if only one of them is posted by the end of the month. The next will hopefully be up around early July, if that happens.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own D. Gray-man or any associated affiliates, they belong to Hoshino Katsura. I also did not originally write this chapter, nor the next few chapters; instead the original idea for this fanfic and some of the original text (which has been used in areas) are by Misster Cackles.

**Thank you's:** At this time I would like to thank Misster Cackles, for allowing me to adopt this story. Eventually, I will thank my beta, but that will occur when I have this chapter actually beta'd. Also, a large thank you to all the reviewers, again sorry for the delay.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Noeclexis**

_Noeclexis – selecting a partner based on intelligence and character without regard to physical appearance_

The room finally decided to right itself and stopped spinning around. However, his stomach had not caught up to his eyes as he could still feel it churn from the previous movement that Tyki had subjected him to. Beginning to stand better, he shrugged off the hand that had been holding him upright as his focus allowed him to move away from the Noah. Taking in the details, the first thing that stood out to him was the ceiling which loomed roughly thirty feet above the ground on which he stood upon. It was painted in a vast celestial design that roughly mimicked what was supposed to be on the other side of the ceiling at night. The edges of the ceiling met with white marble, which gradually darkened until it blended with the color of the ash wood paneling that covered the entire room. The room, while being large naturally, should've appeared smaller with the dark color on its walls; instead, it appeared larger as Lavi took in the mirrors that were resting on a panel here and there. Adding to the illusion of the room's size was the floor which was the only consistently bright part of the room. It was a pool of tile that was a silver gray, and contained flecks of foil here and there.

There were two open doorways on both of the walls that were perpendicular to the giant main door behind him which stood 20 feet tall. There were stairs in the center of the far wall, and a small door on the left side of the stairs, which probably was used for the servants of the manor.

Taking in all the ornate details, Lavi almost missed the feel of a hand snaking along his thigh and a slight tug as the aforementioned hand attempted to pull his Innocence from its holster. Automatically, the redhead's hand latched onto the offending wrist of the thief; and he let his eyes trail up the attached arm to glare at the perpetrator. "What do you think you're doing?" Lavi growled at the taller man. In punishment Lavi lifted and twisted the arm into a figure-four lock as he situated his body between the Noah and his Innocence. Tyki gave a secretive smile that vanished right before he phased his arm from the smaller male's grasp as the lock began to grow in discomfort. He held up his hands by his head with the palms towards the younger as if to say he meant no harm. The Bookman internally snorted as he reminded himself of exactly what those hands could do.

That reminder also forced him to step away from the man to keep both hands in his eyesight. After a couple steps back he allowed a slight blush to cross his cheeks as he realized how close the joint lock had put him to the older male. His glare held in place as he waited for an answer to the question that needed to be answered before he would even begin to feel remotely comfortable again.

The Noah slowly lowered his hands ensuring to keep in them insight of the Exorcist at all times. Once they were at a comfortable level, he allowed his eyes to hold the single eye of his partner. "I have no intention of breaking your Innocence, if that is what you are thinking," his answer held the formality of the letter that had been received by the Black Order. "My goal was merely to store and hide it for you during your time with me at the manor." The redhead remained tense as he looked questioningly at his supposed former enemy. "I will not be the only Noah within these walls while my mother is here. Your Innocence will be in danger if you hold onto it, and leave it out in the open." The redhead watched as the right hand he was observing was raised, and its fingers were snapped together, the resulting sound echoing off the marble floor and the ceiling.

In reaction, the Bookman confirmed his suspicions as the door to the left of the stair case opened to reveal a gray skinned servant. As it approached, the blank eyes and black pentacle in the center of its forehead became more apparent. _An akuma_. Lavi glowered and slightly relaxed his muscles as he pulled his hammer from its holster in preparation to fight, but the Noah held out his arm to stop him. Confused, the Exorcist slightly shifted his gaze back towards Tyki, but didn't dare drop his guard in front of the killing machine. "All the servants here are akuma," the brunette informed. "Besides the fact that they cannot bear the presence of Innocence, if they are found it by any of my other brethren residing here, it would be destroyed on the spot." Lavi's eye narrowed as the gravity of the current predicament began to fully set in. He couldn't hold onto his Innocence himself because he would be most likely spending his time in the presence of the other Noah who lived here; and, as he now realized, he couldn't leave it with one of the servants for safe keeping. Which meant...

"Under what reasoning did you think that I would trust you with my Innocence knowing that you have planned and attempted to destroy it in the past? I might be able to say you could keep it away from the other Noah, but how can I trust you to keep it in one piece through the whole mission?" Lavi stared at Tyki skeptically, and then rolled his eye when the other male nodded in affirmation. "As if! You're a Noah; why would you want to keep my Innocence safe?"

The fingers snapped again, and the akuma disappeared back through the door that it came from. Now Lavi was able to dedicate his full attention towards Tyki once more. His silence made the younger male look at him questioningly. "Well?" But the elder only shook his head as his hand repositioned itself so that its index finger was placed over his lips. The Bookman understood the silent gesture; the answer was another part of this big mystery that could apparently only be solved with the information that the Noah would provide. The silencing hand lowered itself palm up in offering. The hand caused the redhead to pause, but then they both froze as the sound of lilting skips made its way to their ears.

"Hurry, Bookman!" Tyki hissed at him. "If you're caught with it now, you'll lose it for sure."

Lavi quickly made his decision as finally approached his fiancé, and carefully placed the weapon into the palm of the other's gloved hand. He let his hand linger over the innocence as his leveled a balanced look at his partner in crime. "One crack, one tiny defect that happens to my hammer, and I will blow your cover to the other Noah who are going to be close by as well. You have my weapon, I have your life." He gave a forced smile and watched as Tyki returned it with the same amount of strain. He was shocked as he felt he glove slide along his palm and hammer as the clothed hand grabbed his gently.

His solitary emerald eye widened further was the calm topaz pair slipped shut when the elder male raised the held hand to his lips. "Agreed," the Bookman barely heard it before those lips pressed firmly to the back of his hand as if he were sealing a promise. Shocked by the action, he almost forgot about the approaching figure until a voice came from the upper floor.

"Uncle Tyki!" The shout from the eldest Noah caused Lavi to turn sharply to look at the source of the noise. She was recklessly hanging over the railing of the balcony the preceded the dual stair case. The hanging soon ceased as the seemingly young girl launched herself at Tyki, who let go of Lavi's hand to catch her in the embrace that she wanted. Releasing the taller male from her grasp, she looked over at the red headed companion her family member had brought home. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, "Ooo..." She bent slightly at the waist as she continued to look upon Lavi in childish curiosity. "I didn't think you were serious when you said you had an exorcist as your lover. Still, I was hoping that is would've been my precious little doll... I want to play with her again..." Her voice trailed off as she slipped slightly into a fantasy.

Tyki straightened himself from his embracing position and took a step towards his partner; his arm taking on a possessive personality as it wrapped around the other's waist. The Bookman spared a glance to the Noah's hands realizing that the Innocence was no longer held in them. "I tried to woo her at first but seemed to underestimate her brother. While I enjoy taking time pursuing... _persons of interest_... I do not enjoy being pursued and attacked myself on an obnoxious level. My dear little librarian here, on the other hand..." the elder male trailed off assuming that his brother's charge would understand his meaning.

"Hmm?" Road inquired with a giggle, her head titling to the side. "You two seem close enough for him not being your first choice."

Tyki opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by another voice. "So this is the being who steals my brother's eyes away from mine and his duty?" Sheril emerged from the corridor that led to the back rooms, and moved to stand behind his daughter. He looked upon the younger male with inquisitive eyes as is trying to see if Lavi was worthy of his brother's gaze. "He's decent looking, I suppose." Lavi's eye twitched unconsciously. _Just decent?_

"You're making my skin crawl, brother. You were also aware of my intentions." Tyki spoke as though the weather was a more interesting topic. His arm tightened around his _fiancé's_ waist pulling the red head possessively closer. "I think he'll do fine; intelligent, attractive, personable... I can't imagine Mother would have any objections to my intentions."

"His Innocence—?" Sheril began.

"Is not with him," Tyki cut his brother off. "He was fully aware of the fact that he would be residing in the family home." A small smile played across the Pleasure's lips. "He chose to leave his Innocence behind for the comfort of all the people who will be residing here."

The Bookman observed the suspicious look that crossed the eldest male's face before he chuckled lightly. Lavi wondered if Tyki had seen it as well, but pushed that to the back of his mind as he tried to put a pleasant smile on his face. Every smooth word the Noah had just said was a lie, and the red head did not want to find out what would happen when the other two Noah figured it out.

Pulling away from his taller companion, he made it seem as though he wanted to hold Tyki's hand rather than showing that he was trying to peel the murderous hand away from a space that held many vital organs. "Um, so..." he began to say trying to figure out how to get out of the situation. "I've never been here before, and I'd probably get lost because I was too busy looking at something shiny while wandering on my own. However, if one of you..." he paused to give a pointed look at Tyki. The man had brought him here, and there was no way the Exorcist could guarantee that the other two wouldn't kill him for sport. "... would like to give me a tour of this magnificent home so that I am able to take care of myself, and not look like an idiot when your mother arrives; it would be must appreciated."

The Pleasure gave a small smirk, "All you had to do was ask, _meu coelho_."

Lavi's eyes narrowed as he turned his head away from the other Noah in the room. "_Please_ don't..."

"Ah, but that's what I call you when we're alone." Tyki spared a glance to his family. "I see, is it because we have company? Then forgive me, my beloved, and I shall try not to do it again." He made a show of offering his hand in apology, as the redhead's cheeks started to turn the color of his hair. However, the offered hand was accepted and the pair went off.

The other two Noah watched the pair as they began the tour of the manor, discussing the names that Tyki used on the Exorcist. The two exchanged a glance, and followed behind both of them at a much slower pace.

***insert small commercial break here***

They started downstairs, and Tyki took them through the receiving room first. It was beautiful, but simple in terms of artwork. There was a small bar against the far wall for people to get a drink at should they request one during a social function. Couches were arranged around a table which had a small flower arrangement. "The flowers come from the Lady's personal garden." Tyki commented as he noticed the single green eye look at the different flowers. Not much else was in the room however, except for wide windows which looked across the ground and another exit which led towards the dining room. The Noah pulled the other into the new room.

It was done in tones of blue except for the wood which was a gorgeous auburn cherry wood. Through the middle of the room was a table that could've comfortably fit about twenty people, but there were only enough chairs for fifteen people. Expanding his observation beyond the table, the Bookman noted two other entrances to the room other than the one he just came through. One seemed to be a servants' entrance, so the kitchen was probably on the other side. The other door way seemed to move to another hallway that probably led to other parts of the manor.

Across the walls were portraits of the family, except for a large painting the hung above a fireplace that was halfway down one of the longer walls. The painting was of a ship in a flood. Lavi approached the painting to inspect which story it actually told. "This painting seems a little dark to be in this room."

Sheril was now standing in the first entrance to the room, and decided to test how much the Exorcist actually knew. "Indeed, but it is the tale of our forefather, and therefore is just as important to the family as all the other paintings on the wall here." _Now let's see..._

"Yes, I understand that, but the art style is from the Hellenistic period in Greece. So, this painting is not of Noah, but is instead a painting of Deucalion." The Bookman looked over at the master of the house who had a pleased smile on his face. "However, since all religions are just essentially retellings of each other, this is the same story as what your ancestor went through."

There was a small clap that echoed its way around the room, as the Desire of Noah acknowledged the redhead passed of his test. After all, it would not do to have a dunce marry into the family. Walking around the room towards the servants' entrance, Sheril held the door open as he confirmed Lavi's guess of the kitchen beyond it. "You can get food here in case if you get hungry while meals are not being served." The Bookman could see a dozen disguised akuma working away on dinner for that evening, and suspected there were more that were out of view from the doorway he looked through. "But first, we should continue with our little tour."

Using the final doorway, the four of them passed into a hallway that led around the back side of the manor. The walls were still a light royal blue, and the cherry wood from the dining room stemmed into the hallway as base boards and crown moldings. There were six rooms on the left side of the hall and eight on the right side. They didn't stop at all the rooms, just the ones that would be helpful to know the location of in the near future. The second door on the left was the master study, where Sheril apparently conducted his political business. Across the hall, in the third right room, was Road's study, where she had her lessons. Road looked annoyed, while her adoptive father had a slight frown, which led Lavi to believe that there were several problems regarding Road and her studies. The third door on the left led to a small family chapel. The fifth door on the right opened to reveal a music room which resembled the hidden control room in the Order's Ark. The hallway itself was lined with souvenirs and trophies from various wars and other achievements. They did not hold Lavi's interest though as the events in question already had stacks of data in his head.

At the last door on the left, Lavi was introduced to the Lady's indoor green house, whose glass panes overlooked the garden beyond it. "Tricia tends to this collection herself." Sheril said with a small smile.

"They look beautiful." Lavi commented, as he took in the different flowers. "Where is the Lady today?"

"She's not feeling well. But you will probably meet her tomorrow as she wants to be a good hostess for you."

The bookman mentally wrote down all the different blooms that were growing inside. His gaze shifted slightly onto the master of the house. "Your wife is human, correct?"

Sheril nodded firmly ad understood the unasked question of the Bookman. "Tricia is completely human. Even though she is lives with us, she does not know of our Noahs or that the servants here are all akuma." With a small grin he turned and faced Tyki. "She was just telling me the other night that the Earl gives her a bad feeling."

The Pleasure chuckled in amusement. "Really?"

Lavi decided to interject before things got too far from his questions. "So mentioning anything about—"

The harsh glare from Lord Kamelot interrupted the red head's question. "Mentioning anything about our war would guarantee a new missing persons poster." The exorcist swallowed and nodded, noting that Tyki gave no objection despite their supposed roles as lovers.

Tyki then led them towards the last door on the right. He opened the door so that the others could enter, and for Lavi to look around. "The library," he announced, even though the bookman apprentice could already guess that from the dozens of bookcases that were contained within the room. He made a mental note that this room could be an important source of information, and that he would probably spend a lot of time here.

A disguised akuma arrived in the doorway as Lavi looked to see if there was a way to identify the sections of the library. The servant announced that dinner was ready, and asked if the indoor dining room was a good place to serve the meal. Nodding, Sheril turned towards the group. "Looks like our tour will have to pause for the time being. Let us go and enjoy the food that has been prepared."

The dining room was set by the time they reached the room. Lavi sat next to Tyki, who was next to Sheril, and across from Road. Dinner was quiet and awkward for the exorcist who didn't know what to say to the Noah in the room. About midway through the meal, a different akuma appeared and leaned down to whisper into Lord Kamelot's ear. A small frown crossed his features, but the expression softened as he stood.

"I need to take my leave for the evening. The servants' quarters are beside the stairs, but seeing as all the servants are akuma I doubt you will be going in there anytime soon." Lavi nodded and acknowledged the warning he was receiving. "The family's quarters are on the upper east side of the manor, but Tyki's rooms are on the west side and I guess that means, that's where you will be staying as well." Lavi resisted the urge to tense at the last statement. He had planned on staying in a hotel outside of the manor during the course of the mission; he hadn't expected more family to be living in the manor, and now said family was inviting and expecting him to stay in their home.

Sheril turned to face his adoptive daughter, who seemed to be worried after seeing her father's mood. "Your mother's doctor is here, and your brother is supposed to return tomorrow. Would you like to come with me or stay here with the love birds?" He was so soft with her, that Lavi would've had a difficult time believing that these two were evil sadists had he not seen them in action before.

Road nodded before standing and taking her father's hand. She turned towards her uncle and uncle-to-be and curtsied before wishing both of them a good night. Sheril clasped her hand tightly, before making his way towards the exit. Pausing in the entrance to the receiving room, he looked at Tyki. "I trust that you can behave while I am not here, brother?"

Tyki gave a small reassuring smile, which led Lavi to believe that Lady Kamelot's health was a large concern for this part of the Noah clan. "Of course, my dear brother," the brunette said. "Tell her that I say hello and that I hope to introduce her to my dearest soon. Some good news should lighten her heart." His family left the room, and Tyki turned to the only other person present.

"Lady Kamelot..." Lavi began. "What does she have?"

Tyki shook his head before glaring at his glass of wine. "The physician doesn't know; Tricia's symptoms vary and could be a part of many different things, he says. Fever, headache, dizziness, drowsiness, and nausea are only the start of a long list of things that are ailing her."

Lavi frowned. The list of symptoms he was just given could be anything as they were all common of just being sick. "Could I see her later?"

The Noah was surprised at the offer of help. "That will depend on Sheril, but I don't see why not. What are you planning on doing?"

The red head smiled, "Surely, you don't expect a Bookman's apprentice to not pick up on anything during his lessons? I just want to see if there's anything I can possibly figure out that her doctor had not."

"That's quite noble of you. Why would you want to do something like that?"

Lavi pondered the question for a minute before figuring that this would probably be used to provide reasons to Sheril so he could see Tricia. "I just want to help. Also, it's what family would do, and since I'll be part of this family, it would be nice to be able to get along with more than just you."

A low chuckle came from the Pleasure. "Getting into your role now aren't you." Lavi blushed as he fully took in what he just said. "I'm just wondering how you, as young as you are, believe that you can be more help than the physician already has been."

Lavi's eye narrowed as he recognized his age was being used against him. "I'm not sure if I can be, if the doctor is actually competent. However, it doesn't hurt to get a second opinion now does it?"

"No, I suppose it doesn't." Tyki answered. "I just find it curious that someone of the Bookman clan is taking enough interest to worry about someone." The Bookman Junior frowned at the course of conversation.

"That's not the reason why I'm interested. I'm just curious about what kind of woman it takes to be able to be around three Noah and still know nothing of the war they are causing. Furthermore, I want to know what kind of woman it takes to spawn and raise a Noah." Lavi replied while finishing off his dinner.

Tyki laughed aloud, before eating the remainder of his dinner of his dinner. Rising from the table, he offered his hand to the red head beside him. "Come, _meu coelho_, our room awaits."

"Tyki!" Lavi growled before resentfully accepting the offered hand.

***insert small commercial break here***

On the way to the west wing, Lavi tried to state his concerns about staying in the manor before Tyki's and Sheril's mother arrived. However, Tyki made it crystal — the Bookman apprentice was sure the slight emphasis was made in regards to crystal-type innocence — clear that the red head would be staying at the manor so that he could learn the daily functions of the Kamelot estate. The older also explained that the two of them would be sharing a room after his mother arrived at the manor. Thinking about sharing a room with the Noah made the exorcist's skin crawl, and the urge to bang his head against a wall made itself known. He held back though as he recognized this living arrange would be awkward for both of them, as the brunette didn't seem thrilled by the rooming arrangements either.

Tyki led his towards a closed door that was opened as the younger approached. The host spoke as he led Lavi inside. "This is my room."

The exorcist's hands tightened on his suitcase as he noted the location of the room. "And my room is one that is further away?" He asked hopefully.

The Noah chuckled at Lavi's reaction. "No. This is the room will eventually be the one we share. You should make yourself comfortable here before we are required to share it. In the mean time, I will temporarily sleep elsewhere."

The redhead reluctantly set his suitcase down. "How uncomfortable do you think this will be?" He asked turning in Tyki's direction, but the older male was no longer there.

"Very." Lavi jumped as he felt the breath of the voice on his ear. He gasped in surprise as he felt arms wrap around his waist and turned him to face the entirety room before pulling him to the body behind him. The bookman tried to relax in the heat emitted from the Noah; it wouldn't do for someone to come in and see him be tense in his pseudo lover's arms. "Pretend for me," Tyki whispered into Lavi's right ear, and the younger shuddered slightly in the hold as breath continued to hit the sensitive side of his ear. He wanted to shove the other away, but forgot as the elder's voice returned. "Think of this as the room we would usually go to in order to conduct our affair, and the reason why I am not there is because I am away, and you're missing me."

_Just like Yuu-chan misses sweets and Allen misses Komurin._ The exorcist's thoughts froze as the Noah pressed the two of them closer together; and the younger body tensed not used to the handling it was receiving.

The Pleasure took in the observation before finally asking, "Have you even slept next to someone before?"

Lavi pulled out of the hold and turned to face Tyki in shock at the question. Then red seeped into his cheeks as he answered. "No, at least not like we probably will need to. Even then, Bookmen codes wouldn't allow it, so I'd usually sleep on the floor if I had to share a bed." Relief flooded is features. "Actually, I call the floor."

Tyki's brow rose in amusement. "Go ahead. I'm not averse to the idea." He covered his mouth as a yawn attempted to escape from his lips. "However, for now sleep in the bed. I'm going to retire for the night in a room a little ways down the hall." The Pleasure then turned to leave and made it to the door before pausing. "That reminds me..." He turned to face the redhead who was kneeling on the floor in order to deal with his suitcase.

Lavi looked over at him as he heard the exclamation. "Silver or gold?" The younger seemed confused and startled by the question that seemed to be random. Taking in the expressions, the older male decided to clarify. "I asked silver or gold, as in which do you prefer."

The Bookman was still a little confused, as he attempted to interpret the question. Looking into the other eyes, he relied dazedly, "Gold."

The Noah smirked and spun on his heel to leave, "Goodnight, Bookman Junior."

* * *

**Challenge time:**

So, no one has gotten the last challenge correct yet, but I think if I provide you with an easier challenge someone might get it. Though the first challenge is still open. So here is my question:

When Allen originally joined the Black Order, he was told that there were 18 other exorcists. Who are these 18 people?

Same requirements as last time.

Til later this month.


End file.
